You might want to try "Interurbans Without Wires", published by Interurban Press. It has good background information and rosters about EMC, GE, Brill and every other company that built motor cars in the United States. Some specs are provided.
The earliest EMC cars were quite light and barely had enough power to move themselves. They gradually got larger and heavier and some had enough power to move a short train. The transition by EMC to locomotive builder began with some motor cars built for Rock Island that carried no passengers and were really light locomotives.
Sperry Rail Service bought and rebuilt a lot of EMC motor cars into detector cars, some of which are still in service. There are also several preserved at museums.
I'm looking for information and technical data on the Electro-Motive/St.Louis Gas-Electric Cars as produced in the late1920's and early 1930's, specifically e.g. gas engine horsepower, traction motors, tractive effort etc.
Page 60 of the August 2006 MR shows a gas-electric towing six freight cars on the AT&SF in Kansas. Obviously a versatile piece of equipment! How many were produced and how long did units remain in service? Have any survived as museum pieces?
Isambard
Grizzly Northern history, Tales from the Grizzly and news on line at isambard5935.blogspot.com
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